Minutes for Occupy Austin General Assembly, January 25, 2012
BishopZ
Meeting began at 7:15pm at City Hall.
Facilitation Team:
Co-Moderators: Bishop and Dallas
Stack: Maryann
Minutes: Chuck
New members are greeted.
Facilitation going over core values: non-violent, nonpartisan, non-religious.
We also try to be sober while we are here.
Step up, step back.
BISHOP: going over the hand signals.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
MARYANN: Occupy SXSW is going well, and the next planning meeting is
tonight at 9pm at Austin Java.
VIRGINIA: Sharing with us some of the entries made in her survey,
which asks people "Why are you here?" "Why do you Occupy?" Answers
include "Power to the people"; "failure is not an option"; "an
opportunity to fight back" after losing house, car; because it is a
living example of a better society; "Keep fighting for our
constitutional rights"; "move money out of banks"; "to lift the
camping ban"; and to look at other cities such as Portland who have
had some success in doing this.
JUSTIN: The next End Homelessness Working Group meeting is this
Sunday at 11:30am at Angel House.
DANIELLE: (1) if you want to get involved in a flash mob (about NDAA)
next week, get with her; (2) coordination call is coming soon and you
are welcome to get involved with that too! Email:
dawni...@gmail.com
MARYANN: We have some events coming up that nobody else is
announcing. (1) This Sunday is Stand Up for Occupy! Hole in the
Wall, 9pm, $5 donation at the door, 21 and up only please. (2) We
agreed at a previous GA that next Monday our GA will be cancelled so
we can join the protest at AISD at West 6th at 6pm; we want to show
them what democracy looks like. Remember, no GA next Monday. Contact
Amanda for details about AISD.
JIM (?): There will be a hearing here at City Hall next week; they
will be discussing the electricity rate increase. Thursday the 2nd,
City Council meeting starts at 6pm.
JULIA: Wants to express what Occupy means to her. "Unity,
solidarity, and [can't hear]". "This is my fourth meeting; there is a
lot of intellect here. There's a lot of caring. There is a lot of
give-a-shit here." She is glad to be a part of it.
REPORTBACKS:
BISHOP: We were going to deliver the Freedom Tower [an IT mobile
wireless station] last night, but we are glad we didn't because of the
weather. But the Freedom Tower is coming tomorrow.
[Out of process]
(POI) UNKNOWN SPEAKER: Concerned about the threatening environment.
(POI) MARYANN: There exists a "Safer Spaces" Working Group; they are
meeting tomorrow night at 9pm at Austin Java.
(POI) UNKNOWN SPEAKER: Describing how she gave a guy a "knee and a fist".
(POI) MARYANN: Other Occupy groups have also made a Safer Spaces type
of a group, with some success.
UNKNOWN SPEAKER: It is important to understand that you are allowed
to speak up for yourself, even though nobody speaks for Occupy.
UNKNOWN SPEAKER: I do a lot of work (and has info about) non-violence
and creating a safer environment. [OA members will meet her after the
General Assembly has adjourned.]
(POP) JOE: We are out of process, but there is room in the process to
take the safety issue up as a special topic.
[Stack notes that we have one more report back, and one proposal, but
we do not have quorum.]
[Joe is asking the group whether we want to open this up as a special topic]
(POI) MARYANN: I'm gonna go to Austin Java after this if anyone wants
to continue talking!
(CQ) CEDRIC: Is the quorum permanent?
(POI) JOE: Yes it is now permanent.
[back on process]
CLAIRE: Our finance group is at a standstill...
[Out of process again. There are a number of new people here who do
not understand our process. Various OA veterans are helping them find
their way.]
BISHOP notes that we have no more agenda items. GA is adjourned!
Meeting finished at 7:42pm.